Transformative OA Agreement for Germany

FAQs about the OA Agreement for Germany

  • FAQ for Approval Manager

    How do I register and log in to the Article Approval Service to use the Reporting Feature?

    In order to comply with GDPR, we require the Approval  Manager(s) from each institution to register on our system themselves and create an account, to be able to log in to the Article Approval Service (AAS) to approve and reject articles. Please refer to the AAS Registration Process document in your “Welcome Pack” and register your details on springer.com.

    Once you have registered, you will be assigned special user-rights to approve or reject articles. You can click the “Reporting” tab on your dashboard to download reports based on verification status and date range.

    How will the Reporting Feature help me?

    The Reporting Feature enables institutions to download status reports for articles that are recognised as eligible to be published open access under the open access agreements. 

    This tool will help institutions to keep track of articles that have been approved or rejected for coverage under their open access agreement. In addition, the Reporting Feature enables institutions to download complete status reports for open articles, providing an overview of the articles that are currently pending eligibility verification in the Article Approval Service (AAS). 

    What do I do if I have forgotten my password?

    If you have forgotten your password and are unable to log in, please click on the “Forgot your password?” link on the AAS log in page. You will then be asked to enter your email address you used when registering for the site and will be sent an email which contains instructions on how to reset your password. 

    Which information can I obtain by using the Reporting Feature?

    There are three article status reports that can be downloaded from the Reporting Feature:

    Open – Articles currently pending approval in the Article Approval Service (AAS) Approved – Articles that have been approved for coverage under the open access agreement  Rejected - Articles that have been rejected for coverage under the open access agreement

    The reports will show eligible open access articles from both Pure OA and Hybrid journals. When downloading a report, you will be able to filter the columns which will detail whether an article belongs to either one of those categories.

    How do I download the reports and what format will the information be presented in? 

    To download a report, please log in to the AAS Reporting Feature and select the desired parameter and date range to obtain the corresponding reports.

     The reports will download as a simple .csv file format which can then be imported to any programs that display data in columns and tables. However, this file is best viewed through a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel.

    When can I see the online publication date for approved articles?  

    Once an article is approved or rejected for coverage under an institution’s open access agreement, the production process is finalised. The author then receives the article proof and any final amendments are made. The online publication date for each approved article will be displayed in the reports a few days after approval, as soon as the article has been published online.

    How do I update my contact information?

    In order to edit or replace your contact details, please contact the OA Verification team at: oa.verification@springernature.com

    Who can I speak to if I have any further questions?

    Please get in touch with us at oa.verification@springernature.com. We are always happy to help.

  • FAQ for Authors

    Who is considered the corresponding author?

    The corresponding author is defined as the person who handles the manuscript and correspondence during the publication process – from manuscript correction and proof reading, to handling the revisions and re-submission of revised manuscripts, up to the acceptance of the manuscripts. The corresponding author acts as the main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.

    The corresponding author has the authority to act on behalf of all co-authors in all matters pertaining to publication of the manuscript, including supplementary material. They are also responsible for obtaining such agreements and for informing the co-authors of the manuscript’s status throughout the submission, review and publication processes.

    In addition, the corresponding author of the article who is affiliated to an eligible institution shall complete the author identification process and act as the point of contact for any enquiries after the paper is published.

    How can I identify myself as eligible?

    If you can say ‘yes’ to these statements, your article is ready for publication under the open access agreement for Germany.

    - I am the corresponding author*.

    - I am affiliated with an eligible institution and can identify myself with at least one of the methods of recognition shown in the image below.

    STNL Compact author recognition img © Springer

    - My article matches one of these types: Original Paper, Review Paper, Brief Communication, Editorial Notes+, Book Reviews+, Letters+ and Reports+.


    Upon acceptance of your article, you'll also be prompted to provide your primary institutional affiliation.

    *Acting as main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.

    +Hybrid journals only. Non-research articles in fully open access journals will not be covered by this agreement.

    How do I know if my article has been approved?

    The approval manager at your institution will approve your article's eligibility based on your institutional affiliation, article title and journal name.

    Once your article is approved by your institution, you will be notified by email and your article will proceed to publication.

    How is payment made for my article?

    As an individual author, you will not be invoiced by Springer Nature for OA publication. These fees are initially being covered by the DEAL main contract Springer Nature concluded with the Max Planck Digital Library Services GmbH (MPDL Services), who centrally coordinates the financial contributions of German institutions. Learn more about Projekt DEAL.

    What if I'm not covered by the agreement?

    There are still plenty of ways to find finding for your article processing charge (APC). Visit our open access funding page to check whether your institution or research funder makes OA funding available.

    Is this the same as Springer Compact?

    The open access agreement for Germany covers publishing fees for Springer hybrid journals. Corresponding authors* affiliated with German institutions can publish their research open access with Springer.

    Visit the Germany agreement page on springer.com if you would like more information specifically about Springer hybrid journals. [add link when available]

    The agreement also covers publications in Springer Nature's fully open access journals. Imprints included are: BMC, Nature Research, Palgrave and SpringerOpen. The links in the 'Publishing open access' section of this page provide more detail about participating institutions and eligible journals.

    *Acting as main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.

    Why has this agreement been reached?

    Through this agreement, Projekt DEAL has repurposed former subscription spending to finance open access publication. Corresponding authors* affiliated with German institutions can publish their research open access in Springer hybrid journals, and will also have access to read subscription content from these journals.

    In addition, a 20% discount on the publishing fee will be applied to all content published through the open access agreement for Germany in BMC journals, SpringerOpen journals, Nature Communications and Scientific Reports. Authors will not be invoiced by Springer Nature and the 20% discount applies to the fees paid centrally.

    *Acting as main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.

    What happens with BMC and SpringerOpen memberships?

    The Germany country-level agreement will absorb any BMC memberships of participating institutions.

    Fully OA articles published in BMC or SpringerOpen journals through July 2020 will be charged to the BMC membership. Only articles published from August 2020 will be identified as part of the new agreement and be charged to DEAL.

    The author identification process will be slighly different for the new agreement. For BMC memberships, eligible authors are identified at submission. For the open access agreement for Germany, identification will happen at the point of acceptance. This means that if you have submitted your article under a BMC membership but publication happens in 2020, you will need to re-confirm your institutional affiliation at acceptance.

    Who can I contact for more information? 

    Please email us at oa.verification@springernature.com if you need further assistance.

    Alternatively, visit DEAL’s FAQ for authors.